I woke up to the sounds of the alarm bells, closely followed by Eden crying.
Squad 3, Truck 81, Ambulance 61. Structure fire.
I slid my feet into my boots and laced them up quickly before grabbing Eden's pacifier and slipping it into her mouth. I picked her up and cradled her for a second while Severide put his boots on.
"Shhhh. It's okay, sweetheart. Connie is going to watch you while I'm gone, okay?"
I quickly located Connie and passed Eden off to her.
"Thank you so much for staying late to help," I said to Connie as I kissed Eden goodbye.
Connie nodded sleepily and I ran to the ambulance. I hopped in and Dawson flipped on the sirens. As we sped through the streets of Chicago, Gabby and I talked about finding childcare for Eden if I ended up taking her permanently.
"Didn't Connie's sister watch Louie for you?" I asked.
"Yeah, she did. Her name was Bonnie. I still can't get over that. Connie and Bonnie," Dawson said with a laugh.
"Can you give me her number when we get back?" I asked as we turned onto the scene.
"Of course."
Gabby parked and we jumped out, grabbing the gurney and our jump bags. We learned a few minutes later that the family that lived in the house was on vacation for the next week. Dawson and I waited until we got the all clear from Chief Boden before packing up and heading back to 51, our services not necessary at the scene.
"That was fast," Connie said, handing me a sleeping Eden.
"No victims," Dawson explained.
"I'm going to go put her back in the crib. Thanks again for helping, Connie. I really appreciate it," I said, shooting her a smile.
I took Eden back to Severide's quarters and settled her in the pack and play. Once I was confident that she was okay, I flipped on the baby monitor that Dawson and I had bought and took the receiver out into the common room with me.
"I texted you Bonnie's number," Dawson said.
"Thank you. I just hope she's available if I need her," I said, grabbing a container of ice cream from the freezer.
I handed Dawson a spoon and sat next to her on the couch. We ate the ice cream from the container in silence, waiting for our men to get back.
"Dawson, do you think I'd be a good mom?" I asked.
"Of course. I think you're going to be an amazing mom. Why do you ask?"
"The reality that I might become Eden's permanent home is starting to sink in," I said.
"If that does end up being the case, you will have all of us standing right behind you to catch you in the unlikely event that you fall. You are one of the strongest, most selfless people I know. Any child would be lucky to have you as a mom," Gabby said.
I thanked her just as Truck and Squad pulled into the firehouse. We watched through the windows as they all got out, stripping off their turnout gear and coming into the common room.
"How'd it go?" I asked as they all filed in.
"It was fine. Nothing exciting happened," Otis said.
I followed Severide back to his quarters, shutting the door and closing the blinds. He looked over at me, his eyebrows raised.
"Don't look at me like that. There's a baby present," I said, walking over to him.
He wrapped me up in a tight hug. I buried my face in his chest, breathing in his scent. He smelled of smoke with a faint touch of his body wash. We just held each other for a little while, not because either one of us particularly needed to be held, but because we just wanted to soak in the love we had for each other.
"Was it a hard call?" I asked after a little bit.
"No, not really. There weren't any victims and the fire wasn't particularly horrendous. It was a pretty boring call, actually," he said, his chin resting on top of my head.
I looked over at the clock on his bedside table. It was well into the early hours of the morning, growing increasingly closer to the end of shift.
"I was planning on swinging by the hospital before I go to Christi's house. I want to see how she's doing and talk to Will," I said.
"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked, finally letting go.
"You're more than welcome to come. Dawson is coming too," I said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"You know, we haven't really talked about what we're going to do if Christi doesn't wake up," he said, looking down at the sleeping infant.
"If you don't want her in the apartment then I can move out and find a new place. It doesn't have to come between us," I said, feeling a flicker of panic.
"Everly, slow down. I have no problem with Eden coming home with us. In fact, I look forward to it. Clarice, Shay's ex-girlfriend, stayed with Shay and I when she had her baby. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed having the little guy around," Severide said.
"Are you sure you want to do this with me?" I asked, looking him in the eye.
"Absolutely," he said, his voice unwavering.
We laid back on the bed, wrapped up in each other. Dozing in and out of sleep, we stayed there until Eden woke up. Severide was out, so I untangled myself from his grasp and cuddled the baby. I grabbed a clean diaper and her blanket and pacifier before heading out to the common room. Casey and Kidd were the only other ones up and about, so I asked Casey to make a bottle while Kidd helped me get Eden changed and ready for the day.
"She's pretty cute," Kidd said, snuggling the baby while I checked the temperature of the bottle Casey had handed me.
I took Eden from Kidd and settled on the couch, making sure not to take Mouch's beloved spot, and started feeding Eden. By the time she was finished with the bottle, everyone else was awake. Dawson handed me a cup of coffee in exchange for the baby, a trade that I happily agreed to. Chief Boden came into the room and cleared his throat.
"I wanted to talk to all of you before the end of shift. Eden is not just Everly's responsibility. She's a part of this family now. We are all here to help in any way that we can," he said, looking around the room.
Everyone nodded and looked over at the baby in Dawson's arms. As I looked around the room, the fear of being Eden's permanent home melted away. I knew that if Christi didn't wake up, I would be the most supported and encouraged foster mom in the world.
"Do you want me to bring the carseat inside to strap her in or do you want to just bring her out to the car?" Severide asked as everyone started getting ready to go home.
"If you could bring it inside, that would be great. Just unsnap the seat from the base," I said.
He nodded and headed out to my car while I gathered up the rest of Eden's things as well as my own. I changed into my regular clothes quickly, watching Casey and Dawson play with Eden while I got ready.
"Alright, my turn," I said, holding my arms out.
Casey kissed Eden on the forehead before handing her over to me. Severide came back a few moments later with the infant carseat and I buckled Eden in, making sure everything was done correctly.
"Are you wanting to go the hospital first or the house?" Dawson asked.
"I was originally thinking the hospital, but I want to swing by the house first and see if there's any pictures or anything there that I can take to Christi's hospital room," I said.
"That's a good idea. Casey and I will meet you at the house," Dawson said, taking her husband's hand and heading out.
I picked up the carseat while Severide grabbed all of Eden's things and we walked out to my car. I snapped the seat to the base, making sure Eden was secure before sliding into the passenger seat.
"Thank you," I said as we pulled away from 51.
"For what?" Severide asked.
"For supporting me in this. And for loving me so unconditionally."
"Ev, I will always be here for you," he said, taking my hand in his free one.
I looked back at Eden and smiled when I saw that she had fallen asleep. We drove the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, hand in hand.
"Why are Ruzek and Burgess here?" Severide asked as we pulled up the Christi and Eden's house.
"I asked them to come so the neighbors don't freak out when they see people taking things from a comatose person's home," I explained.
"That makes sense," Severide said, parking.
Casey and Dawson pulled up a moment later. We greeted Adam and Kim before heading inside. The hole in the wall had been covered with a tarp, but there was debris all over the lower level. I found an empty box and located Eden's room.
"What kind of things are you looking for?" Ruzek asked, unbuckling Eden from her carseat.
"Clothes, bottles, etc. Anything I might need to take care of Eden to the best of my ability," I said.
Kim, Gabby, and I started picking things while the boys entertained a now awake Eden. I grabbed a bunch of pacifiers, toys, blankets, books, and a handful of photos before heading to the kitchen. I searched through the cabinets, finding bottles, formula, and a bottle warmer.
"I have my truck, so you can take the highchair, crib, and bigger things like that," Casey said.
"How about you give me the baby and go load the big things into your truck then," I suggested.
He handed me Eden and rounded up the boys to do as I asked. Dawson located a stroller that happened to be compatible with the brand of carseat I had bought yesterday. Kim came downstairs a few minutes later with a baby carrier and a wrap.
"I never understood how people tied these. I would not feel safe with my baby tied to my chest with a long piece of stretchy fabric," she said, tossing them in the box.
"I'll figure it out. I'm sure there's a video on YouTube," I said.
We did one last sweep of the house, grabbing a few last minute things. Once we were finished, I strapped Eden back into her carseat and secured it in the backseat.
"Thank you for your help," I said, hugging Burgess and Ruzek.
"Of course. Feel free to call if you need anything else," Ruzek said.
After they left, I turned to Casey and Dawson.
"We should probably drop all of this stuff off at our place before we go to the hospital," I said.
Everyone nodded in agreement. We all loaded up and headed towards the apartment. When we got there, Casey and Severide carried the heavy things upstairs while Dawson and I organized the clothes and other items.
"Should we just turn my room into the nursery since I don't really sleep there anymore? That way we still have a guest room in case someone needs it," I said.
"That sounds like a good idea to me," Severide said.
He and Matt moved the bed that was in my room down into the guest room, which luckily didn't have a bed yet. Dawson and I set everything else up while the boys moved the crib and changing table into the room. Once we were finished, we headed towards the hospital, stopping for lunch on the way.
"We're here for Christi Quinn," I said to the nurse at the front desk when we walked into Chicago Med.
"She's in the ICU. Are you family?" the nurse asked.
"No, we're the paramedics and firefighters that brought her in," I said.
"I'll have to ask her doctor if it's okay for you to visit," she said, picking up the phone.
"It's fine, Madison. They have full visitation rights," Maggie said, coming out of a room.
"Hey, Maggie," I said, hugging the nurse.
"I'm sorry," Madison said, handing us visitor passes.
"Don't worry about it," Dawson said with a smile.
We followed Maggie to Christi's room. My grip on the carseat handle tightened a little as we walked through the door. Christi was hooked up to a ventilator with multiple IVs and EKG leads everywhere.
"We'll give you some time with her," Severide said.
Dawson, Casey, Severide, and Maggie left the room, sliding the glass door closed behind them. I set the carseat down on the ground and unbuckled Eden. I cradled her sleeping form in my arms for a second before laying her across her mother's chest. I let the sleeping infant lay on her mom for a while, listening to the clicks of the ventilators and the beeps of the heart monitor.
"Hey," Will said, coming in to the room.
"Hi. How's she doing?" I asked, putting Eden back in her carseat so Will could examine Christi.
"She suffered a traumatic brain injury along with several internal injuries. We were able to stop the bleeding, but it's not looking good," Will said, his eyes sad.
"Has she had any visitors?" I asked.
"Not that I know of. She doesn't have any living relatives and Eden's father died while overseas. She doesn't have anyone."
"That just breaks me heart," I admitted.
"Mine too. I've got to get going, but I'll call later tonight to check on Eden," he said.
"Sounds good. Thank you, Will," I said, hugging him.
Once Will had left, Severide, Dawson, and Casey came in. I dug my hand into my bag and pulled out a photo of Christi holding Eden a few minutes after she had given birth that I had found in Eden's nursery. I set the picture on the bedside table, angling it so that the woman would be able to see it when she woke up.
"We should get going. I forgot to pack a baby bag and Eden should be getting hungry soon," I said.
We all left quietly, saying goodbye to Maggie on the way out. Dawson and Casey headed back to their place while Severide and I went back to ours. Eden woke up and started fussing during the ride. By the time we got back to the apartment, she was in tears.
"You get her out of the car. I'm going to run upstairs and get a bottle started," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt.
I raced upstairs, spooning formula into a bottle and adding water. I shook the bottle and tucked it in to the bottle warmer. By the time Severide got upstairs with Eden and she was out of the carseat, the bottle was warm. I cradled her in my arms and popped the bottle in her mouth. She quieted down immediately as she drank.
"What do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Severide asked, setting the carseat out of the way.
"I don't have any plans. I kind of want to just stay home and relax," I said.
"Go take a shower and a nap. I'll watch Eden," he said.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
He nodded and took Eden and the bottle from me. I kissed him swiftly before heading towards the shower. I just stood in the warm water for a little bit, letting the water wash away the insanity of the last 24 hours. Once I was clean, I towel-dried my hair and tossed it up in a messy bun. I pulled on a pair of joggers and a thin t-shirt before climbing into Severide's bed and falling into a deep sleep.
I woke up an hour or so later to the sound of my phone ringing. Sleepily, I slid my thumb across the screen and held it up to my ear.
"Hello?" I answered groggily.
"Everly, it's Connor Rhodes."
"Hi, Dr. Rhodes. What's going on?" I asked, sitting up.
"Christi Quinn went into cardiac arrest."
"Is she okay now?" I asked.
"I'm sorry. We did everything we could."
"What are you trying to say, Connor?"
"Grace, Christi Quinn is dead."